Table Of ContentAphelandra espirito-santensis (Acanthaceae), a New Species from
Espirito Santo, Brazil
Sheila R. Profice
Jardim Botanico do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Pacheco Leao 915, 22460 Rio de Janeiro, Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil
Dieter C. Wasshausen
Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution,
Washington, D.C. 20560, U.S.A.
ABSTRACT. A new Brazilian species of the genus exserta, antheris ad apicem pilosis, ca. 2 mm longis;
Aphelandra is described and illustrated. It is related capsula ovata, glabra, 0.9-1 cm longa; semina ovata,
brunnea, tuberculata, 2.5-3 mm longa et ca. 2 mm lata.
to Aphelandra ignea but differs markedly from that
taxon by its leaf blades and the ovate to spathulate Herb; stem reptant at base, subcylindrical, with
bracts with 4-5 spines on the margin. Aphelandra hirsute pubescence, the trichomes yellowish apically.
is represented in Brazil by 28 species. They occur Leaves with petioles 0.5-4 cm long, the pubescence
from the Floresta Amazonica to the Floresta Atlan- similar to that of the stem, the blades ovate, obtuse
tica. apically and basally, with 3-6 pairs of secondary
veins, hirsute on both the upper and lower surface,
Aphelandra R. Brown is a morphologically di¬ especially the veins and the margins, 1.5-5 cm long
verse genus characterized by a lack of cystoliths, a and 1.5-3 cm wide. Flowers borne in terminal,
corolla with a distinct upper lip, four monothecous rarely axillary spikes 1.2-3 cm long, the rachis
stamens, and elongated, tricolporate pollen. yellowish pubescent; bracts imbricate, obovate to
The result of a recently completed study of Acan¬ spathulate, the margins spinulose-serrate, provided
thaceae specimens deposited in the Jardim Botanico with 4-5 pairs of teeth, pubescent without, mem¬
do Rio de Janeiro (RB) has led to the discovery of branous, 1-1.3 cm long and 0.4-0.9 cm wide;
an undescribed species. bracteoles filiform, aristate at apex, pilose, striate-
nerved, subhyaline, 5-6 mm long and 1 mm wide;
Aphelandra espirito-santensis Profice & Was¬ calyx 5-parted, the segments lanceolate, subequal,
striate-nerved, subhyaline, aristate, barbate, 7-8 mm
shausen, sp. nov. TYPE: Brazil. Espirito Santo:
long, the posterior segment ca. 1.5 mm wide, the
Mun. de Linhares, Reserva Florestal da Cia.
Vale do Rio Doce, 26 Sep. 1978, A. M. Car¬ anterior and lateral pair ca. 1 mm wide; corolla
valho et al. HO (holotype, RB). Figure 1. yellow, about 1 cm long, membranous, sparingly
pilose, the tube cylindrical, 1 mm wide at base, about
Herba, caulis reptans, subteres, pilis hirsutis, in apicem 2 mm wide apically, the upper lip bilobed, 3 mm
versum flavo-pubescens. Folia hirsuta, lamina ovata, basi long and 2 mm wide, the lower lip 3-lobed, the
apiceque obtusa, 3-6 paribus venis secundariis, 1.5-5
lateral lobes 3 mm long and 2 mm wide, the middle
cm longa et 1.5-3 cm lata; petiolo 0.5-4 cm longo;
inflorescentia spicata terminalis raro axillaris, 1.2-1.3 cm lobe orbicular, 4 mm long and wide; stamens ex-
longa, rhachi flavo-pubescenti; bracteae imbricatae, obov- serted, anthers ca. 2 mm long, apically pilose; pollen
atae vel spathulatae, marginibus 4-5 dentatis, extus pu- prolate, tricolpate with the colpi extending from the
bescentes, membranaceae, 1-1.3 cm longae et 0.4-0.9
equator nearly to one or both poles, 55-64 gm long
cm latae; bracteolae filiformes, apice aristatae, pilosae,
striatae, subhyalinae, 5-6 mm longae et ca. 1 mm latae; and ca. 29 nm wide, the exine sculpturing verru-
calyx quinquepartitus, segmentis lanceolatis, subaequali- culose (Fig. 2). Capsule ovate, glabrous, 9-10 mm
bus, striatis, subhyalinis, aristatis, barbatis, 7 8 mm lon- long; seeds ovate, brown, tuberculate, 2.5-3 mm
gis, 1-1.5 mm latis; corolla flava, ca. 1 cm longa, mem- long and ca. 2 mm wide.
branacea, pilosa, tubo cylindrico, basi aliquanto angustato
0.1 cm lato, fauci 0.2 cm lati, labio superiore bilobato,
0.3 cm longo et 0.2 cm lato, labio inferiore triloba to, lobis
lateralibus obovatis, 0.3 cm longis et 0.2 cm latis, lobo Distribution. Occurring in lowland forests in
medio orbiculato, 0.4 cm longo et 0.4 cm lato; stamina northern Espirito Santo at elevations of about 30 m.
Novon 3: 280-283. 1993.
Volume 3, Number 3 Profice & Wasshausen 281
1993 Aphelandra espirito-santensis
Figure 1. A-G. Aphelandra espirito-santensis Profice & Wasshausen (Carvalho et al. 80). —A. Habit. —B.
Variability of the bracts. —C. Detail of the bract margin. —D. Corolla, stamens. —E. Calyx segments and capsule.
— F. Seed. —G. Embryo. (Drawn by S. Profice.)
282 Novon
Figure 2. Scanning electron (SEM) photomicrographs of Aphelandra espirito-santensis pollen. —A. Equatorial
view, x 1500 (Carvalho et al. 80). —B. Equatorial view, x 1400 (Carvalho et al. 80).
Aphelandra espirito-santensis shares diagnostic 4(3). Corollas red; bracts obovate-cuneate, 9x4
characteristics and affinities with two Brazilian spe¬ mm; leaf blades oblong-oval 8-10 cm long
. A. decorata (Nees) Wasshausen
cies, A. ignea (Schrader) Nees ex Steudel and A.
4. Corollas yellow; bracts obovate to spathulate,
phrynioides Lindau. It is distinguished from A. ig¬ 10—13 mm long; leaf blades ovate, 1.5 5
nea hy its leaf shape and the ovate to spathulate cm long .
floral bracts with 4-5 pairs of marginal teeth. From . ... A. espirito-santensis Profice & Wasshausen
5(2). Leaf blades ovate, 8-12 x 4-6.5 cm; bracts
A. phrynioides the new taxon is distinctive by its
obovate, 17-19 x 14 mm, mucronulate at
much reduced corolla size and shape, leaf shape and
apex; corolla sparingly glandular-pilose ....
size, and the size and shape of its floral bracts. . A. neesiana Wasshausen
Using the infrageneric classification provided by 5. Leaf blades oblong-elliptic to oblong-lanceo¬
Wasshausen (1975), A. espirito-santensis is in¬ late, 8-9 x 2.5-3.5 cm; bracts elliptic-ob¬
long, 13-15 x 5-6 mm, obtuse at apex;
cluded in the group of Brazilian species that are
corolla glabrous .
characterized by having entire or undulate leaf blades .A. bahiensis (Nees) Wasshausen
and floral bracts without bracteal nectaries and with 6(1). Corollas yellow. 7
marginal teeth. The following key may be used to 6. Corollas red, orange, or scarlet . 9
7(6). Bracts conduplicate.
distinguish the species of this group.
.A. ornata (Nees) T. Anderson
7. Bracts plane, not folded or conduplicate . 8
1. Corollas 7-25 mm long . 2 8(7). Corollas ca. 40 mm long, the upper lip ob¬
1. Corollas 30-65 mm long . 6 ovate, 8x7 mm, bilobed.
2(1). Corollas 10-13 mm long . 3 .A. phrynioides Lindau
2. Corollas 20-22 mm long . 5 8. Corollas 30 mm long, the upper lip oval, 5 x
3(2). Bracts ovate, 17-20 mm long . 5 mm, entire .
.A. caput-medusae Lindau .A. ignea (Schrader) Nees ex Steudel
3. Bracts obovate to obovate-cuneate to spathu¬ 9(6). Leaf blades narrowly elliptic, 2-3.2 cm wide,
late, 9-13 mm long . 4 acuminate at apex; bracts oblong to elliptic,
Volume 3, Number 3 Profice & Wasshausen 283
1993 Aphelandra espirito-santensis
18x6 mm, green with the upper margins 2. Corollas 20 mm long; leaf blades oblong-elliptic,
purplish, the margins spirulose-dentate with thinly pilose; flowers borne in spikes 4-8 cm
about 5 pairs of teeth; corolla orange . long; bracts bearing 2 or usually 3 marginal
.A. margaritae E. Morren teeth. Costa Rica and Panama .
9. Leaf blades narrowly ovate, 4-5 cm wide, .A. seibertii Leonard
acute to obtuse at apex; bracts obovate, to 18 2. Corollas 10 mm long; leaf blades ovate, hirsute;
x 14 mm, purplish, the margins spinulose- flowers borne in spikes 1.2-3 cm long; bracts
serrate with about 7 pairs of teeth; corolla red bearing 4-5 pairs of marginal teeth. Brazil . .
.A. obtusifolia (Nees) Wasshausen .A. espirito-santensis Profice & Wasshausen
Should one wish to compare the new taxon to Paratypes. BRAZIL. Espirito Santo: Mun. de Lin-
hares, Reserva Florestal da Cia. Vale do Rio Doce, G.
some of the smaller terrestrial herbs of Aphelandra
Martinelli 4993 (RB); Reserva de Sooretama, D. Sucre
of Central America, e.g., seibertii Leonard or A.
5701 (RB); Reserva de Sooretama, G. Martinelli 2285
tonduzii Leonard, the following key will demonstrate (RB).
the major differences.
Acknowledgment. Our special thanks to Jorge
1. Floral bracts narrowly lanceolate, 1.5 mm wide, Fontella Pereira for the revision of the Latin diag¬
with 1 pair of minute, slender marginal teeth; nosis.
corollas pale pink. Costa Rica .
. A. tonduzii Leonard
Literature Cited
1. Floral bracts obovate to spathulate, 4-9 mm
wide, with 2-5 pairs of conspicuous marginal Wasshausen, D. C. 1975. The genus Aphelandra
teeth; corollas yellow . 2 (Acanthaceae). Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 18: 1-157.
